Combination instantaneous and delay fuse



`lune 5, 1928. 1,672,150

H. M. BRAYTON COMBINATION INSTANTANEOUS AND DELAY FUSE Filed July 1l, 1924 IN VEN TOR H M ,Bra t0n A from/Ev Patented HAROLD M. BRAYTON, 0F DOVER, JERSEY.

COMBINATION INSTAN'IANEOUS AND DELAY FUSE.

Application filed July 11,

1924. Serial N0. 725,437.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS 0F THE ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT, L., 625.)

The invention described herein, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of' any royalty thereon. A The subject of this invention is a combination instantaneous and delay fuse.

In firing shells from artillery weapons or indrOpping bombs from aircraft, it` is desirable to provide a fuse for the shell which may be set to give either instantaneous or delay action on impact. Further, there are certain conditions especially met with in artillery firing where an automatic selective delay action will function dependably.

These conditions substantially are in low angle firing where a graze or ricochet action is obtained and in high angle firing where the angle of fall is 'suiicieiit to provide a penetrating instead of a ricochet action. In my improved fuse the instant of functioning depends upon the amount` and length of resistance encountered.

During the ricochet action, the shell rarely plows the ground to a depth of more than a few inches or a length of more than a few feet, the resistance offered being consequently small. Under these conditions the delay mechanism will function quickly but the time required for the movement of the various elements will permit the shell to be out of the ground probably from three to five feet before the burst. For effective use against troops this is the ideal position sought for in the burst of a high explosive shell.

In high angle impact Where penetration is desired the resistance encountered being considerable, the delay action will be acordingly greater. of the inertia elements the actual amount of penetration before burst can be nicely regulated.

My invention, therefore, resides in providing a striker rod which may be selectively positioned in operative position to actuate a firing pin when it is desired to secure instantaneous action or which may be maintained ploy delay action; and in establishing delay elements, constituting an automatic selective mechanism for actuating the same firing pin whose instant of functioning depends upon the amount and the length of resistance encountered.

The principles embodied in obtaining the By varying the weight or strength in inoperative position when desired to emforegoing results are equally applicable to. fuses for artillery shells and aerial bombs.

To these and vother ends, Nmy invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination'of elements, described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specili'cation.

A practical embodiment of my invention applied to an artillery point detonating fuse is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which, y

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a fuse and showing the device set for instantaneous' action and in unarmed position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing a detonating element in unarmed position, and A f Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the detonating element in armed position.

Referring to tlie drawings by numerals of reference:

The fuse comprises a body 10, adapted for attachment to a projectile, in threaded engagement with a fuse head 11 and held against rotation by a screw 12.

'lllhe body 10 carries a booster charge 13 packed in a booster chamberv formed concentric with the fuse body and communicating with an eccentric bore 14, in which is disposed an approximately T-shaped rotor 15. municatioii'with an eccentric bore 16 which is provided for the counter-balancing the fuse. Since the structure and operation of the rotor forms no part of the present invention it will be but briefly described herein.

The rotor is normally heldin unarmed position, as shown in Figure 2, by means of pins 17 until the rot-ation o f the shell is suficient to displace them through centrifugal force when the rotor rotates on its axis under the action of centrifugal force until it engages a stop 18, 'at which time a locking pin 19 carried by the rotor and adapted to be thrown out by. centrifugal force, will be positioned in a recess 2.0 of the fuse body. During this rotation a blind cavity 21moves oft'- center to enable a detonating element 22 disposed in a cavity 22 to take its place in line with the firing pin.

Disposed within the body 10 and held 1n place by the head 11 is a plate 23 provided with a central aperture 24 and adapted to The eccentric bore 14 may be in coml,

purpose of properly support the various elements of the delay mechanism which are enclosed in a cavity 11 in the head 11 in rear of its apertured diaphragm 25.

The delay mechanism comprises a hollow `plunger 26 and a sleeve 27 within the plunger and extending the entire length of the cavity 11. The plunger 26 is formed with an internal annular rib 28 normally positioned/'to close aperture 29 in the sleeve 27 and maintained 1n this position against an annular ring ,30 by centrifugal pins 31. The ring 30 embracing the sleeve 27 insures proper alignment of the firing mechanism and detonator and also serves to steady the sleeve 27 when the plunger moves forwardly upon impact of the projectile against the tension of a spring 32, which is confined by the diaphragm `25 and' rib 28. Rotation of the projectile throws out the centrifugal pins 31 leaving only the spring 32 to maintain the plunger in unarmed position during flight. When in the forward position, the rib 28 uncovers the aperture 29 to release balls 33 partially disposed in the aperture 29 from engagement with a guide 34 in the form of a cup either through the action of centrifugal force when the device is used in a shell or when used in a bomb through the action of a spring 35 carried within the guide and abutting against thek diaphragm 25 of the fuse body 11.

Extendingthrough the base of the guidel 34 is a firing pin holder, its stem 36 projecting a short distance within the guide and having an enlarged head 37 formed thereon normally abutting the re'ar face of the guide and carrying a firing pin 38. If"` desired, these elements may be integrally constructed. Confined between the enlarged head 37 and the plate 23 is a springj39 of less strength than the spring 35 within the guide 34 and adapted to return the firing pin and holder to forward position after they `have been set back on discharge and to retain them in this position during flight.Y

It will be noted that when the delay mechanism is in unarmed position asvshown in Figure 1, the fringpin is held from the detonator when disposed axially of the fuse during flight, by the spring 39 while the stronger sprlng 35 is prevented by the balls 33 from acting on the firing pin holder to overcome the lighter spring 39.

Upon impact of the projectile (the centrifugal pms 31 having been displaced durin the rotational flight of the projectile) the p unger 26 is moved forwardly a ainst the tension of the spring 32 throug the force of inertia to venable the balls 33 to be released from the guide 34. At this time the impact of the projectile will also tend to hold theguide 34 and the firing pin holder 36, under the influence of inertial and assisted by the spring 39, inl their forwarder unarmed position until the force of inertia is diminished suciently to permit the spring 35 to predominate when it will force the guide 34 and the firing pin holder 36 rearwardly until the firing pin strikes`the detonator.

It will be apparent that the rapidity in the functioning of the delay mechanism will be proportionate 'to the inertia force as outlined in the premises.

It will also be evident that by varying the vweight of the firing pin holderand the guide and the strength of the spring 35`the elay mechanism can be made to function within wide` limits ata predetermined amount of resistance.' f

The mechanism for securing instantaneous action is disposed in a fuse nose 40, threadedly secured in the fuse head 11 forwardly of the diaphragm'25. The nose is formed with a cavity 40 to slidably receive a striker head 41 provided with a flanged base 41 and is counterbored to receive a spring 42 abutting the base 41. The base of the nose is formed with a central threaded passage 43 receiving a striker rod 44 whose rear portion is formed with male threads 45 while its forward portion 46 is threaded into the base 41 and riveted in place.

The forward portion of the striker head is hollowed to receive a screw head 47 held against movement by a spring clip 48 and serving as a means through which the gunner may set the rod 44 in either operative or inoperative position by rotation of the striker head 41.

When the rodi44 is to be set for instantaneous action, the striker head -is rotated until the threaded rear portion 45 is clear of the internally threaded passage 43 when it will be positioned as shown in Figure 1, projecting through the apertured diaphragm 25 into the guide 34 and in line with the stem 36 of the firing pin holder. In this position, it is free to be forced rearwardly on impact to propel the firing pin into the detonator.

On discharge, the concussion will cause set back of both the firing pin and the striker rod, the firing pin moving into the blind cavity 21 of the rotor until the enlargedlhead 37 engages the plate 23 while the striker will be stopped short of the base of the guide 34 when the anged base 41 of the striker engages an internal annular shoulder 49 formed by the unequal bores of the `fuse nose. -The firing pin and the striker rod are returned to forward position respectively by the'springs .39 and. 42.

When it is desired to employ the delay mechanism, the striker rod is screwed out by rotating the striker head until the male threads are entirely disposed within the pasoing there has been illustrated and descrl ed such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the prefered embodiment of my invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasize the fact that interpretation of the invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims. I claim:

1. A fuse embodying a head formed with a cavity, a sleeve within the cavity,'said sleeve formed Vwith apertures, balls dlsposed in the apertures, a guide within the sleeve and adapted to receive a portion of the balls, a firing pin slidably disposed in the iguide,

means for holding the firing pinl rmly against the' guide, a plunger embracin the sleeve for releasably confining the alls,

means carried in the guide for actuating the saine to expel the balls and to move the firing pin to rin position.

`2. A fuse em odying a head formed with a cavity, a sleeve within the cavity, a guide within the sleeve, means for releasably holding the guide in unarmed position, a firing element slidably disposed in the guide, a detonating element, means for holding the firing element from the detonating element during Hight, and means for actuating the firing element to detonate the detonator.

3. A fuse embodying a head formed with a cavity, a sleeve with1n the cavity, a guide within the sleeve, means for releasably holding the guide in unarmed position, a firing element slidably disposed in the guide, a detonating moving the guide and firing element-to detonate the detonator.

4. .A fuse embodying a head formed with a cavity, a sleeve within the cavity, said sleeve formed with apertures, balls disposed in the apertures, the sleeve and adapted to receive a portion of the balls, a plunger embracing the sleeve element, and means forv a ring mechanism within.

`for confining the balls, and centrifugally o erable means for releasably plunger. y 7

5. A fuse embodying a head formed with a cavity, a plunger formed with an internal rib, means abutting the rib for retainin the plunger in unarmed position during ight, centrifugally opera le releasing means engaging the end of the plun er, anism within the unger releasable when the plunger is move forwardly on impact. 4 6. A combination instantaneous and. delay fuse embodyin a single iiring pin, a striker therefor, mova le to operative position for instantaneous'action, and means for limiting the movement of the firing pin and the striker upon set back when 'the fuse is set holding t e and 'a liring mech- `for instantaneous action.

7. A combination instantaneous and delay fuse embodyin f a single firing pin, a striker therefor, mova le to operative position for instantaneous action, and means for returning the firing in and striker to initial posiplunger within the cavity, said tion after set ack when the fuse is lset for instantaneous action.

8. A combination instantaneous and delay fuse Yembodying a common firing pin and means for limitin the movement of said pin on set back, an means for returning the pinto initial osition.

9. A fuse em odying a firing pin, a striker movable .to operative or inoperative position for actuating said pin instantaneonsly upon impact and a delay mechanism for actuating said firing pin when the striker is in inoperative position.

10. A combination instantaneous and delay fuse embodyin a ring pin and a plurality of means opera le inde endently of each other for actuating the fili-ing pin, one of said means being movable to inoperative position.

11. A combination instantaneous 'and delay fuse embodying a single ignitable element and a single firing pin. 

